Shoe



y 1939- E. w. ALLEN 2,166,204

SHOE

Original Filed April 30, 1936 y 4 INVENTOR ELBERY W H 1.1. E M

ATTORNEYS Patented July 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 77,119. Divided and this application Novemher 6, 1937, Serial No. 173,095

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shoes. The present application is a division of my application Serial No. 77,119 filed April 30, 1936, now Patent Number 2,147,416, granted Feb.

14, 1939, and entitled Shoes.

Both applications have for their object the provision of means for increasing the comfort of the shoes embodying the respective inventions. The particular object of the present invention is to make the shoe fit more snugly about the ankles. Too often the quarter pulls away from the ankle of the wearer to show a gap. This deprives the ankle of support, as well as being unsightly.

In the past it has been the object of manufacturers of shoes to cut the quarter lining in such a way as to fit snugly within the counter. I have discovered that by cutting the quarter lining slightly short in its intermediate portion so that it tends to draw away from the counter, the heel of the wearer, in forcing the quarter liner toward the counter, will create a tension effect on the liner which, if the liner be properly cut, will be exerted in a direction to draw in the margins of the shoe about the ankle, thus improving the comfortand appearance of the shoe.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing a shoe liner made in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective showing the completed shoe incorporating the liner shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a view partially in side elevation but largely in longitudinal section through the completed shoe shown in Fig. 2.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The liner shown in Fig. 1 follows conventional practice in most respects. Its forward portion 4 is made of canvas. The quarter is made up of pieces 5, 6 and l, the latter being continuous: about the heel to preferably avoid any seam at the rear of the shoe.

The felt patch 8 is applied the general position indicated, where it will soften the contact of the shoe with the foot and will not only tend to prevent permanent wrinkles but will cushion such wrinkles as occur in walking.

In Figs. 2 and. 3 I have shown the liner of Fig. 1 applied to the completed shoe. It is particularly to be observed from Fig. 3 that the under surface of the pad 8 has been made in the lasting operation to conform to the inner surfaces of adjacent portions of the liner 4. Thus the pad occupies 55 no space required by the Wearers foot, and the thickness of the pad is accommodated by a very slight bulging of the upper 9 at I0, above the pad.

This bulging has been exaggerated in Fig. 3 because it is so inconspicuous in actual practice that it would not be readily visible.

The quarter liner comprising the parts 5, 6 and 1 will be stitched marginally at l I to the quarter 5 portion l2 of the shoe upper in the usual manner, and the lower margin of the quarter lining will be securely anchored beneath the insole l5. Since the quarter lining is thus marginally fixed at its top and lower margins, any longitudinal pressure 10 applied to the center of lining portion 1 will tend to draw together any of such margins as will freely yield. In cutting the pattern for the parts 5, 6 and 1, the seams l6 are made less convex than usual so that instead of permitting the rear 15 quarter lining portion 1 to conform rearwardly to the shape of the counter I1, I maintain such quarter lining portion under more or less vertical tension which causes it to draw away from the counter when the shoe is not in use.

I have found that when the shoe is worn, the Wearers heel extending back toward the counter, pushes the quarter lining portion l rearwardly, and by pressure against its intermediate portion subjects the liner to tension. This tension reacts upon the upper margin 1 I, which is the only portion of the liner that is free to yield, and the result is to draw this snugly about the ankle of the wearer of the shoe.

I claim:

1. In a shoe, the combination with the rear quarter portion of the upper out to provide a cavity for the heel, of a rear quarter liner marginally conforming at top and bottom to said upper and spaced therefrom intermediate said top and bottom across said cavity, all portions of said liner being substantially inextensible to transmit the pressure of the Wearers heel to the upper margin of the upper for subjecting the upper to tension in a direction tending to draw it snugly to the ankle of the wearer.

2. In a shoe, the combination with a counter, insole, and the quarter portion of the upper applied about said counter, said counter providing a cavity adapted to receive the rear of the wearers heel, of a quarter liner having its lower margin fixed to conform to the bottom of the counter and having its upper margin in seamed connection with the upper, said quarter lining being under tension intermediate its top and bottom portions to partially span said cavity and being there substantially spaced forwardly of said counter and constructed wholly of relatively inextensible material, whereby the pressure of the wearers heel will tension said lining and draw the margin of the upper snugly about the wearers ankle.

ELBERT W. ALLEN. 

